Richard Montgomery's Home-Court Disadvantage

Awaiting New Gym, Teams Practice In Filthy Conditions

When Shannon Hartnett goes to junior varsity basketball practice these days, the Richard Montgomery High School sophomore needs to bring an extra accessory -- her inhaler.

Without it, her allergies will act up because of the amount of dust in the back gymnasium at the old Richard Montgomery school building, which closed Dec. 20. The boys' varsity team regularly spends the first part of its practice there, and the JV boys' and girls' teams conduct full practices there while they wait for work on the gym at the Rockville school's new building to be completed.

The back gym is in much worse shape than the main gym, which is used primarily by the varsity teams. But boys' and girls' players from both levels said that in addition to the dust, the back gym is littered with trash and has no heat or air conditioning. There also remains an intense stench from spray-painted graffiti that marks nearly every surface, as well as from unsanitary bathrooms and water fountains.

"It's dusty, it's not clean, there's nothing we can do about cleaning the bathrooms because nobody's in there cleaning them anymore," said Jennifer Hoffman, who coaches the junior varsity girls' team. "So it's just kind of like a condemned building now. There's trash everywhere. It's ridiculous."

When asked why the school wouldn't continue to clean the back gym, considering the JV teams are still practicing there, Athletics Director Bob Maxey said: "There was no sense of urgency from any building service people to go back to the place to clean up. And that was the message I gave to the coaches: 'Try to keep it clean because you're not going to get any custodial help.' They're way over their heads in the new building."

The old buildings are supposed to be razed by the end of the month, according to Kate Harrison, a public information officer with the Montgomery County school system.

Classes in the new building began Jan. 3, but the new gym required some finishing touches, including paint and lacquer that needs to dry. Richard Montgomery's boys' varsity home game against Blake this past Friday had to be postponed and played at Blake on Monday.

The target date for opening the new gym for practice is Jan. 16 or 17, Maxey said. The first home game is scheduled to be Jan. 18 against Springbrook.

In the meantime, the basketball teams plan to keep practicing in the old building.

Maxey said the main gym is fine and that aside from the graffiti, it has been in the same condition for the past few years. "I wouldn't be sending any of my teams or my kids to an unsafe place," he said.

In terms of the back gym, however, Maxey said: "Oh my God. It seems like they set a bomb off back there."

David Breslaw, the boys' JV coach and a former player for the Rockets, said he has a sentimental attachment to the building, but said of the back gym's condition, "I can't imagine it could be any worse."